Academy for Jewish Religion, California - Clergy & Alumni Association

Academy for Jewish Religion, California - Clergy & Alumni Association

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Magal, Alicia

Position: Rabbi

Ordained in 2003 by AJR-CA and Aleph Renewal seminaries, Alicia Magal lived and worked in Israel for 7 years, returned to the US married and with two small children. She served as Museum Educator at the HUC Skirball Museum for 7 years, and then 7 years as Program Director at Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills. Alicia is currently the spiritual leader of the Jewish Community of Sedona and the Verde Valley where she is very active in interfaith social justice programs. She established a community-wide MItzvah Good Deed Day which bring together over 300 volunteers to do projects for dozens of non-profit organizations locally. She was awarded the Philanthropist of the Year Award in 2014 by the Arizona Community Foundation of Sedona. She published a book about her mother, a Holocaust survivor: From MIracle to MIracle, A Story of Survival. Her blog is RedRockRabbi.blogspot.com.

Specializations

Baby Naming Ceremonies

Dedications & New Home Blessings

Funerals, Memorial Services & Unveilings

Public Speaking

Teaching/Education

Visiting the Sick/Bikkur Cholim

Weddings

Other Specializations:
destination life cycle events in Sedona amidst the beautiful red rocks.

Abstract:
This senior project set out to gather data on creative ways Jewish women are marking and celebrating a mid-life passage in a Jewish context. Many Jewish women have not had a way to mark midlife in a Jewish way. If they did not celebrate becoming a Bat Mitzvah, if they did not get married, then they may never have had any opportunity to receive blessings and acknowledge entering a new phase of life with Jewish liturgy, symbols, and prayers.

Through interviews and research, sections of the thesis described the need for such ceremonies and the various forms they have taken, such as: Adult Bat Mitzvah, Simchat Hochmah, Divorce “Letting Go” ceremony, and healing from a severe illness, including ritual immersion at a Mikvah. Description of original ritual objects, guidelines on choosing a Hebrew name, creating a blessing ceremony, and planning a personalized ceremony are included in the conclusion of the paper.